St. Louis parishioners learn iconography

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Three parishioners of St. Louis Mission were among a dozen participants in an icon class, held at St. Monica Roman Catholic Church, where the mission’s administrator, Father Joe Weber, is pastor.

The class was taught by local iconographer Mark Schaefering of All Saints of North American Antiochian Orthodox Church. Schaefering studied icon painting with noted Orthodox iconographer Phil Zimmermann in New Florence, Pennsylvania, and has been painting icons for about eight years.

Participants painted the icon of Christ the Bridegroom. The class was held almost weekly, from late June to November.

At the start to the class, participants prayed, sang, and listened to holy hymns, psalms and various audio recordings.

Orthodox Father Steven Salaris, pastor of All Saints of North America Orthodox Church, spoke one evening on icons.

The three participants, Marilyn Hertenstein, and Catherine and Dennis Toscano, took the icons upon their completion to St. Louis Mission to be blessed by Jesuit Father Steven Hawkes-Teeples.